Academic Integrity in the Age of AI

Are you currently enrolled as a student at a college or university?

• Yes
• No

Welcome to this study on student experiences with AI tools in academic settings. This survey is conducted for research purposes only. Your responses are completely anonymous and will be reported only in aggregate — no individual can be identified. There are no right or wrong answers; we are interested in your honest opinions and experiences. Participation is voluntary, and you may stop at any time without consequence. The survey takes approximately 10-12 minutes to complete. By continuing, you consent to participate in this study.

What is your current academic level?

• First-year undergraduate
• Second-year undergraduate
• Third-year undergraduate
• Fourth-year (or more) undergraduate
• Master's student
• Doctoral / PhD student
• Professional degree student (e.g., JD, MD, MBA)
• Other

To your knowledge, does your college or university have a formal policy on the use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot) in academic work?

• Yes, there is a formal policy
• There may be informal guidelines, but no formal policy
• No, there is no policy
• I'm not sure

The next few questions ask about your own experiences using AI tools for academic work. Remember, your responses are completely anonymous — we are interested in understanding real student practices, not making judgments.

Students use AI in many different ways, and opinions vary widely on what is acceptable. The following scenarios describe different ways a student might use AI tools. For each one, please rate how acceptable you believe it is. Note: These scenarios may appear in a randomized order.

Thinking about the scenarios you just rated, can you describe a specific situation where you felt unsure whether using an AI tool was acceptable or not? What made it feel like a gray area?

The next questions ask about what you have observed among other students at your institution. These are not about your own behavior — just your general impressions.

Finally, we would like your input on how institutions should approach AI tools in academic settings.

Based on your responses throughout this survey, is there anything else you would like to share about AI tools and academic integrity — including experiences, concerns, or suggestions we may not have asked about?

What is your primary field of study?

• Arts & Humanities
• Social Sciences
• Business & Economics
• Natural Sciences
• Engineering
• Computer Science & Information Technology
• Health Sciences & Medicine
• Education
• Law
• Mathematics & Statistics
• Other (please specify)

Which of the following AI tools have you used at least once, for any purpose — academic or personal? (Select all that apply)

• ChatGPT (OpenAI)
• Microsoft Copilot / Bing Chat
• Google Gemini (formerly Bard)
• Claude (Anthropic)
• Grammarly AI features
• AI-powered paraphrasing tools (e.g., QuillBot)
• GitHub Copilot or other AI coding assistants
• AI image generators (e.g., DALL-E, Midjourney)
• Other AI tool not listed
• I have not used any AI tools

How well do you feel you understand the rules or guidelines at your institution regarding AI use in academic work?

During the current academic term, how often have you used AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Grammarly AI, AI paraphrasing tools) to assist with any academic work?

• Never
• Once or twice
• A few times a month
• A few times a week
• Daily or almost daily

Using an AI tool to brainstorm or generate ideas for an essay topic

In your estimation, how common is it for students at your institution to use AI tools for academic work?

Which of the following best describes the approach you think colleges and universities should take regarding AI tools in academic work?

• Ban AI tool use entirely in academic work
• Allow AI only for specific low-stakes tasks (e.g., brainstorming, grammar checking)
• Allow AI use broadly but require students to disclose it
• Allow AI use broadly with no disclosure requirement
• Let individual instructors decide for their own courses
• Other (please specify)

What is your age?

• 18-20
• 21-23
• 24-26
• 27-30
• 31-35
• 36-40
• 41 or older
• Prefer not to say

Across your courses this term, how consistent have your instructors been in communicating their expectations about AI tool use?

For which of the following academic tasks have you used AI tools? (Select all that apply)

• Brainstorming or generating ideas
• Researching or finding sources
• Summarizing readings or articles
• Writing or drafting text
• Editing, grammar, or proofreading
• Solving math or science problems
• Writing or debugging code
• Creating presentations or visual materials
• Studying or preparing for exams
• Translating text between languages
• Other (please specify)
• I have not used AI tools for academic tasks

Using an AI tool to check grammar and improve sentence structure in a paper you wrote yourself

In your estimation, how common is it for students at your institution to submit AI-generated work without disclosing the use of AI to their instructor?

How important do you think it is for an AI academic integrity policy to include clear definitions of what AI use is and is not permitted?

Which best describes the institution where you are currently enrolled?

• Public university
• Private university
• Community college
• Liberal arts college
• Online-only institution
• Other (please specify)

When you use AI tools for academic work, how often do you mention or disclose this use to your instructor?

Using an AI tool to summarize assigned readings instead of reading them in full

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Most students at my institution do not consider using AI tools for academic work to be a form of cheating.

How important is it to you that students are involved in developing their institution's AI use policies?

Using an AI tool to generate a first draft of a written assignment that you then edit and submit

Using an AI tool to generate code for a programming assignment

Using an AI tool to produce answers for a take-home exam or graded quiz

Submitting AI-generated text as entirely your own work without any editing or disclosure